by Julie Shrewsbury | Dec 3, 2012 | Opinion
Do you know what software inventor Bill Gates, singer Avril Lavigne, actress Julia Roberts and talk show host Oprah Winfrey have in common? They all had troubled childhoods and were considered “geeks” and “misfits” by their classmates. Look around. Could the person sitting next to you be a future celebrity? Here is a look at those celebrities, their beginnings and where they are now, as well as comments from Lipscomb students who find fuel for their souls in the stories of these people. When he was 8 years old, Bill Gates read the encyclopedia from A to P. So, it’s no wonder he was not particularly popular with his classmates. In his teenage years, he was skinny, shy and awkward, and he used to wake up in the morning dreading going to school. He now wakes up every morning $12 million richer thanks to his Microsoft Corp. “When I was about 8 years old, I told my mom I wanted to be Bill Gates when I grew up,” said Aaron Spragg, a junior social entrepreneurship major. “She handed me the biggest book we had in our house and told me to start reading. I thought that he was the coolest guy, especially since he donated millions of dollars to charities every year. Not only is he a genius, but he is a good guy too. He is an inspiration and a great role model, and I hope to be able to start my own business one day and be able to mimic some of his qualities.” Avril Lavigne was considered anything but ordinary. She was a tomboy who played hockey...
by Sarah McGee | Nov 26, 2012 | Opinion
The tagline “It has all led up to this moment” is no exaggeration. I went into The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 with almost no expectations due to the fear of being disappointed. After watching the film, I can honestly say that my fears were not necessary. The film was broken down perfectly from beginning to end. Things can seem a little rushed in some parts, but that’s expected when trying to fit a huge book into two movies. The movie flies by due to the pace that’s set in place. I found the pacing to be refreshing because in the past, I’ve felt bored in some scenes of other Twilight films. The acting was also infinitely sounder than past films. I didn’t find myself laughing as much at parts that were meant to be serious. Director Bill Condon created such an epic scene towards the end. My adrenaline is pumping just thinking about it! I believe that all major fans of the Twilight series will be very pleased with the outcome. Bring your tissues though, because at the very end of the film, it hit me that the series was over, and I sat in the theater and cried like a baby. I’m also a very tame fan compared to others. So let that be a warning about how high emotions will run. If you have younger siblings, be wary. This violence is nothing like Twilight films from the past. I was a little surprised at how much more intense the violence was this time around. For adults and teenagers, it will be fine, but younger children who...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 17, 2012 | Opinion
Soon after Adele powerhouses through one of the better James Bond theme songs in recent memory during one of the signature opening credit sequences, we see Dame Judi Dench’s M sitting at a computer, typing out the obituary of a Mr. James Bond. “What do you say about a man like that,” M wonders as she puts word to screen. Indeed, what do you say about this version of James Bond? Ever since 2006’s mightily superb Casino Royale, we’ve been given the definite 21st century Bond. Daniel Craig’s 007 now outlines the idea of the character, adapting a sense of Bourne-esque grittiness that makes the spy relevant in today’s landscape. You know what they say – adapt or die. 2008’s Quantum of Solace might have been the biggest departure from a typical Bond movie, putting the hero in dire straits – both mentally and physically. For once, one of the “Bond girls” from Casino Royale left a mark that scarred – badly. Quantum was a good movie that served as a solid second entry in the Craig series – but it wasn’t particularly fun. I don’t think people were as receptive to watching their favorite secret agent mope around. I wasn’t as vehemently against the movie as others, but sure, it was no Casino Royale. People like a happy Bond – they like the suave smile. They like their Bond to be awesome. Skyfall shows the secret agent being exactly that – awesome. Beautifully shot by Roger Deakins and wonderfully scored by Thomas Newman (both deserve Oscar nods), Skyfall is a thunderous example of how even after 50 years, Bond can still wow. ...
by Cory Woodroof | Nov 11, 2012 | Opinion
Hats off, Disney, hats off. The mouse house can’t call 2012 an off year simply because of their job in producing this summer’s mega-hit The Avengers. One of their two animation companies, perennial powerhouse Pixar, also scored big with Brave, even though the Scottish fairy tale can’t necessarily be called an instant classic. Even though two of the studio’s less audience-friendly offerings, March’s John Carter and last month’s Frankenweenie, failed to ignite the box office, the craft and imagination put into both well made up for poor returns (in the creative sense). Those two films showed Disney taking risks. The studio has always been able to get by with Pirates and talking cars, but films like John Carter and Frankenweenie show a side of Disney that is still willing to occasionally surprise. The praise for Carter‘s pulp and Frankenweenie‘s charm might not leave the circle of critics, but it shows the studio still has a few surprises up its sleeve. For years now, Walt Disney Animation Studios has served as Buena Vista’s animation B-team. Much like a decent-enough backup quarterback, the former pioneer of animated films has been relegated to bench-warming for the superstar studio Pixar. Disney’s in-house animation department hasn’t exactly been putting out garbage (recent efforts Bolt, The Princess and The Frog and Tangled are strong cases for the studio’s growth, with the animation division now being stewarded by Pixar vet John Lasseter), but in comparison to the folks at Pixar, their films lack the heft and public recognition (and Oscars). In 2011, Pixar finally produced a goose egg with the disappointing Cars 2. A month later, Disney Animation released the pleasant-enough Winnie the Pooh...
by Logan Butts | Nov 9, 2012 | Opinion, Sports
The 2012 NFL season has already provided for more truly memorable moments than entire seasons have in the past. Due in large part to the presence of the mostly incompetent ‘replacements refs’ through the league’s brief referee lockout, the first half of the season has been equal parts enthralling and chaotic. There have been overtimes, converted onside kicks, last-second ‘Hail Mary’s, controversial calls and even a sequel to the ‘Music City Miracle’ – all of that coming from the Titans 44-41 victory over the Lions during week three. A brawl almost broke out in the Rams-Redskins game. The Panthers have been running the option with Cam Newton. If Bill Belichick had ripped off his sleeveless hoodie to reveal a Patriots uniform underneath and caught a game-winning touchdown pass from Ton Brady, I would not have been the least-bit surprised. Not only were the games extremely entertaining, but the storylines were as intriguing as ever. Peyton Manning has reclaimed his spot on the league’s Mount Rushmore of quarterbacks, while rookie Robert Griffin III is making a case for his inclusion. The two pre-season Super Bowl favorites, the Packers and the Patriots, did not have a winning record through week six. The presumably lowly Cardinals were undefeated going into their fifth game. The ‘Bountygate’ punishments handed out to the winless Saints have proven to be worse than the experts previously thought. On top of all that, SportsCenter has barely mentioned New York Jets QB Tim Tebow for the last few weeks, which has to be some sort of record. To celebrate the madness that has occurred throughout the first half of the...
by Jeremy Keck | Nov 4, 2012 | Opinion
There I was, behind the wheel, texting and driving. I intended to type out the message, “Meet me at McDonald’s in 20 minutes.” I did not get past, “Meet me at.” I looked up at the road to see a car pull out in front of me. I switched lanes, but oncoming traffic was headed straight toward me. I then tried to get back in my lane, overcorrected, veered off the road and crashed. The good news, however, is that this was just a simulation. All this happened on Thursday morning, Nov. 1 when I drove a simulator that AT&T brought to Brentwood Academy. I was there with Cathy Lewandowski, senior public relations manager, to shadow for the corporation. I regret to inform you that I crashed no more than 7 seconds into the challenge. The simulator is designed to drive a point: you never know what may happen on the road while you are behind the wheel. The simulation had cars pulling out in front of me, pedestrians jaywalking and stoplights quickly transitioning from green to red. These are obstacles you can easily avoid if you are paying attention but are much more difficult if you are not being fully attentive. When I was driving back to campus I experienced a real life obstacle of my own. I was driving down Granny White when a car in the opposite lane began drifting into my lane. I adjusted my car to the edge of the road, which was possibly a life-saving move because by the time our vehicles crossed paths the other person’s vehicle was halfway into my lane....
